LINDALE, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Barrington Trucking – a trucking company based in Lindale, Texas – has paid $73,452 in back wages to 15 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

BAKERSFIELD, CA – An employee of a Bakersfield, California, farm has received $5,402 in back wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found the employer wrongfully denied paid sick leave benefits required under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The employee requested leave to stay at home caring for children whose school closed due to the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced five new opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letters issued today are:

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA – After an investigation by  U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found a South San Francisco chain grocery store location failed to provide paid sick leave benefits to an employee forced to stay at home to care for children whose school closed due to the coronavirus, the employer agreed to pay the required benefits.

DAVIE, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Pho 79 – a restaurant chain based in Davie, Florida – will pay $314,553 in back wages to 65 employees for violating overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Carland Properties LLC – based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – has paid $23,066 in overtime back wages to four property managers and maintenance workers to resolve violations of the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

AUSTIN, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), The Steam Team Inc. – based in Austin, Texas – has paid $44,400 in back wages to 11 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SAN JOSE, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Charlebois Farm LLC – a horse training facility in Menlo Park, California – will pay $64,982 to 13 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

SACRAMENTO, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Darshan Mundy – owner of seven Sacramento, California-area gas stations – has paid $340,470 in back wages and damages to 105 employees and $45,963 in penalties to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime requirements.

AUSTIN, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Black Swan Inc. – a delivery service contractor based in Austin, Texas – has paid $800 in back wages to an employee for wrongly denying paid sick leave for a qualifying reason under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Equal Rights Division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

TULSA, OK – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the operator of Burn Co. Inc. – also known as Burn Co. Barbecue restaurants – has paid $55,372 in back wages to 22 employees to resolve violations of the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) found at its Jenks and Tulsa, Oklahoma, locations.

PROVIDENCE, RI – After a U.S. Department of Labor investigation, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island has entered a consent judgment and order requiring Los Andes Restaurant and its owners to pay $729,895 in back wages and liquidated damages to 128 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). They will also pay a civil money penalty of $45,104.

KANSAS CITY, KS – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in Kansas City, Kansas, is joining with the IRS and the U.S. Small Business Administration to present a webinar to review paid sick leave requirements, tax relief and other coronavirus-related information critical for employers and business owners.  

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today launched an interactive online tool to help workers determine if they qualify for paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave to cover time away from work for reasons related to the coronavirus.

SANFORD, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Producto Lure Co, Inc. – based in Sanford, Florida – has paid an employee two weeks of emergency paid sick for violating the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

The U.S. Department of Labor will offer two webinars in Spanish for agricultural employers and employees in California about the paid sick and expanded family and medical leave benefits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Presented by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the webinars will provide information on the rights and protections under the law, including eligibility, coverage, qualifying reasons and pay calculation.

DETROIT, MI – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan against ProCorp LLC – owner Timothy Schultz and operations manager Nichole Shaffer – seeking an injunction and more than $1.5 million in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for approximately 700 drivers employed by the company.

HUNTSVILLE, AL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Copeland Cleaners Inc. – a dry cleaning enterprise based in Huntsville, Alabama – has paid $15,385 in wages to 29 employees to resolve minimum wage violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

MIAMI, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the Miami-Dade County Coordinated Victims Assistance Center (CVAC) has paid $911 to an employee for violating the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).